5 Best 1440p QHD Monitors

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If you want to upgrade from a 1080p monitor but are not interested in 4K monitors, check out the best 1440p monitors instead. They offer more detail than 1080p monitors but don’t require a really powerful computer setup for the best performance, unlike 4K monitors. They are great for both gaming and productivity, with the higher resolution translating to sharper texts on both fronts.

In this guide, we have compiled the top five QHD monitors currently out on the market. No need to review the dozens of options out there. We already did the hard work for you. The monitors in this guide are good for both gaming and general use, though some of which are marketed specifically for the former.

1. Best Pick: Asus ROG Swift PG279Q

The Asus ROG Swift PG279Q is the best 1440p monitor currently out. It’s an outstanding monitor not only for serious gaming but also for office work and general use. Of the products included here, it is the most expensive, with brand-new units selling for around $800.

A 27-inch IPS monitor, the PG279Q is a well-designed product, featuring thin bezels, a sturdy stand, and an intuitive menu control. The stand is easy to adjust and has good ergonomics, with options to adjust the height, tilt, swivel, and pivot to portrait mode. The ring and ROG logo on the stand’s base light up, which is cool but a bit distracting.

The PG279Q is a thick monitor, with or without the stand, and has a large footprint, so make sure your desk can comfortably accommodate it. If you want to save space, you can mount it on the wall. For controls, this monitor has a joystick and a set of buttons on the bottom right corner, on the back panel. The joystick is easy to use while the on-screen display itself is organized and easy to navigate, with a good selection of calibration options and gaming features.

Concerning connectivity, the PG279Q is good but not on the same level as Dell UltraSharp monitors. It has an HDMI port and a DisplayPort for input and comes with an audio out for headphones and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. All ports are at the rear and can be a bit difficult to access due to their down-facing position, especially when the monitor is wall-mounted. The PG279Q’s stand has cable management, so cables look organized even if you’re using all available ports.

Although this Asus monitor has built-in speakers, you shouldn’t expect too much regarding overall sound quality. The speakers are probably acceptable enough for watching YouTube clips or listening to music while working, but for watching movies and gaming, it’s best to use headphones or external speakers instead for a more immersive audio experience.

The PG279Q is a fantastic all-around monitor. It has excellent sRGB coverage, wide viewing angles, and very low input lag. It’s a great unit for web development, photo editing, internet surfing, editing spreadsheets, and media consumption. Compared to the Acer Predator XB271HU, its chief rival on the market, the PG279Q is superior in a number of areas, offering better brightness, reflection handling, contrast, default color accuracy, and motion handling.

As a gaming monitor, the PG279Q is outstanding. It has an exceptional response time and offers a very high native refresh of 144 Hz, which you can easily overclock to 165 Hz. It has Nvidia G-Sync support, one reason it sells for a high price. With G-Sync, you get exceptionally smooth gaming with minimal screen tearing. The PG279Q is a great monitor for different kinds of games – including first-person shooters, racing simulations, fighting games, real-time strategy games, RPGs, and open-world adventure games.

If money is not an issue for you, the PG279Q is the best 1440p monitor you can get today. It has great picture quality, wide viewing angles, good ergonomics, an intuitive menu control, a fast response time, and G-Sync support. It’s an exceptional monitor for both gaming and non-gaming use, so you get the best of both worlds.

Tech Specs

Size: 27 in

Resolution: 2560 x 1440

Refresh Rate: 144 Hz

Response Time: 4 ms

Panel: IPS

Weight: 15.4 lb

The Pros

Great picture quality

Nvidia G-Sync support

Good ergonomics

Intuitive joystick control

Very low input lag

Fast response time

Wide viewing angles

The Cons

Expensive

Subpar native contrast

2. Best Budget: Dell U2715H

If you can’t spend over $400 for a QHD monitor, go for the Dell U2715H, a 27-inch professional monitor that works well for both productivity and regular gaming. It’s a better all-around product than the similarly priced Dell U2518D. You can get it for around $330, which makes it significantly more accessible for most folks than our top pick from Asus.

The U2715H looks very similar to Dell’s other professional monitors. It has a minimalist design, with a clean back panel, thin bezels, and a stable stand with cable management. You can easily adjust the screen position. You can adjust the height as well as tilt and swivel the screen, along with the option to rotate it to portrait mode. If you want to save desk space, you can easily remove the stand and mount this monitor on the wall. The U2715H is also a solid option for a dual monitor setup, thanks to its thin bezels.

Compared to our top pick here, the U2715H has a much less intuitive OSD control scheme. Instead of the usual clickable buttons seen in other UltraSharp models, Dell went for touch-sensitive buttons on the bottom-right corner. Although they are responsive, the function buttons are not clearly labeled and will take some time getting used to, especially if you’re coming from an LG monitor. On the upside, the OSD itself is well organized and easy to go through and offers a good selection of options.

If having plenty of connection options is a big plus for you when shopping for the best QHD monitors, then you’re going to love the U2715H. It has a DisplayPort In, a DisplayPort Out, a Mini DisplayPort, two HDMI, an audio out, and four USB 3.0 ports. All ports are down-facing at the rear, though, so you don’t get USB ports on the monitor’s side for quick access, unlike with other UltraSharp models.

Overall, the U2715H’s design and build quality are great. It has a simple, well-secured cabinet that puts function over cosmetics, with the rigid stand easily supporting the screen regardless of its position. There are no integrated speakers in this monitor, though, which isn’t really that big of a deal, considering monitor speakers are not that great in the first place.

The U2715H is a very good monitor for productivity. Its large screen makes multitasking easier while its high resolution makes texts look sharper, which is important for programming and editing text documents. It has decent color accuracy out of the box and boasts excellent viewing angles, which means colors stay accurate even when viewing the screen from the side.

Furthermore, the U2715H has terrific coverage for the sRGB color space, making it a good monitor for photo editing. It has good brightness, too, and works well in a well-lit room, but not so much in a dark room. It has noticeable backlight bleed and a mediocre contrast ratio, both of which are common issues among monitors with an IPS panel.

While not on the same level as the Asus gaming monitor above, the U2715H is also good for regular gaming. It has low input lag across different resolutions and a fast response time. However, those who are serious about competitive gaming and mainly play fast-paced games such as Overwatch and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will find this monitor underwhelming, mainly due to its 60 Hz refresh rate and lack of variable refresh rate support.

Overall, the U2715H is a solid budget 1440p monitor that offers good value for the price. It has good picture quality, plenty of connection options, good ergonomics, wide viewing angles, and excellent sRGB coverage. If you want a relatively affordable QHD monitor for both productivity and gaming, the U2715H is the best option on the market.

Tech Specs

Size: 27 in

Resolution: 2560 x 1440

Refresh Rate: 60 Hz

Response Time: 6 ms

Panel: IPS

Weight: 15 lb

The Pros

Good picture quality

Low input lag

Good reflection handling

Wide viewing angles

Good ergonomics

Organized OSD

The Cons

Noticeable backlight bleed

Not very good OSD control scheme

Mediocre contrast

3. Best Value: Dell U3417W

Everyone has different preferences regarding screen size. Some are more comfortable with 25-inch monitors while others won’t settle for anything smaller than 30 inches. If you want a 1440p monitor that’s larger than our other top picks, go for the Dell U3417W. It’s one of the best curved ultrawide monitors on the market, featuring a 34-inch IPS screen. It sells for around $650 and offers excellent long-term value, especially for non-gaming use.

In design, the U3417W is not that different from other Dell UltraSharp monitors; the most obvious difference is that it has a curved screen. It has a professional design, featuring a minimalist frame with thin borders, a heavy-duty stand, plenty of connection ports, and fairly decent speakers. It has a 1900R curve radius and looks thicker than most 34-inch monitors due to its curved screen.

The U3417W’s stand is sturdy and easily supports the large screen. You can adjust the height, tilt forward-backward, and swivel side to side. Compared to our budget Dell monitor, the U3417W has a more limited swivel range, though that’s not much of a big deal for most people. As with other Dell UltraSharp monitors, the U3417W has cable management on the stand, which makes for a clutter-free work desk.

When it comes to connectivity, the U3417W is just as generous as our budget pick, though the ports placement is more in line with recent Dell UltraSharp models. Connection options include two HDMI ports, a DisplayPort In, a DisplayPort Out, a Mini DisplayPort, an audio out for headphones, two USB upstream ports, and a total of four USB downstream ports, two of which support fast charging. Of the four USB downstream ports, two are located on the monitor’s side for quick access; all other ports are downward-positioned at the rear.

Like most other Dell monitors, the U3417W has a well-designed on-screen display with a wide selection of options. It’s organized and easy to use, with none of those confusing sub-menus. The OSD control scheme is basic. There are four small, clickable buttons on the bottom-right corner, along with the power button, all of which are responsive and give off a nice feedback when clicked. Some might complain about the size of the menu buttons, though.

The U3417W is best suited for productivity, though it also works well for regular gaming. It has a 21:9 aspect ratio and is excellent for multitasking thanks to its screen size and high resolution. You can use it as a single monitor for two computers. It has good color accuracy out of the box and boasts excellent coverage for the sRGB color space, which is good news for those who want to use it for photo editing. It has good brightness and reflection handling and offers great viewing angles, which is important for a curved ultrawide monitor. On the flip side, it has a poor native contrast and is not recommended for usage in a dark room.

For gaming, the U3417W is a solid monitor. It has a fast response time and a low input lag, but it’s not on the same level as our top pick. It’s great for those who prefer a more immersive gaming experience and don’t really care about ultra-fast response times and very high refresh rates. If you mainly play games such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the U3417W is good enough. Its lack of variable refresh rate tech and 60 Hz refresh rate will disappoint hardcore gamers, though.

If you want a 1440p monitor larger than 30 inches, the U3417W is an excellent option. It’s suitable for productivity and media consumption and works well for regular gaming. It has great picture quality, good brightness, lots of connection options, and a low input lag. If, however, you want a 1440p curved ultrawide monitor designed specifically for gaming, the more expensive Dell AW3418DW – which offers Nvidia G-Sync support and a 100 Hz native refresh rate – is the better option.

Tech Specs

Size: 34 in

Resolution: 3440 x 1440

Refresh Rate: 60 Hz

Response Time: 5 ms

Panel: IPS

Weight: 22 lb

The Pros

Great picture quality

Wide viewing angles

Low input lag

Excellent for multitasking

Lots of connection options

Good reflection handling

The Cons

Subpar native contrast ratio

Noticeable backlight bleed

4. Dell S2716DG

Out of the three Dell monitors in this guide, the Dell S2716DG is the most suitable for pure gaming, featuring an extremely fast response time, a very low input lag, and Nvidia G-Sync support. It sells for around $450, which makes it a more affordable G-Sync monitor than the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q and the Acer Predator XB271HU.

Although it’s built with gamers in mind, the S2716DG has the same minimalist design typically associated with Dell professional monitors. It has none of those fancy cosmetics seen in other gaming monitors, such as a lighting system on the back panel. It has a simple design, featuring thin bezels and a sturdy stand with a flat base.

Concerning ergonomics, the S2716DG is much better than the Dell U3417W, especially with regard to the swivel range. You can adjust the height and tilt and swivel the screen. Although you can rotate the screen to portrait mode, it’s not a recommended setup. If you have limited desk space, you can opt for a wall-mounted setup, which is easy to do with this monitor.

As with the other Dell monitors above, the S2716DG has a good number of connection ports for versatility. It has an HDMI port, a DisplayPort, four USB 3.0 downstream ports, and two audio out ports, one of which allows for direct volume adjustment. One of the two audio out ports is on the left edge for quick access, along with two of the USB downstream ports. For cable management, this Dell monitor has a small hole in the stand.

The S2716DG has an organized on-screen display with a decent selection of options. It’s easy to get used to the OSD. The control buttons, on the other hand, is another story. Like the Dell U3417W, this gaming monitor has clickable buttons on the bottom-right corner, under the frame. However, the buttons can be difficult to use sometimes due to their shallow design.

Unlike most gaming monitors that try to pack as many features as possible, this Dell monitor does not come with built-in speakers. That’s not a bad thing. Monitor speakers tend to be awful, so don’t let the absence of speakers affect your decision when considering this gaming monitor.

As mentioned, the S2716DG is suitable for pure gaming. It has exceptional motion handling and a very low input lag across different supported resolutions. It has a high native refresh rate – the highest among the Dell monitors listed here – and supports G-Sync via DisplayPort. The S2716DG is a great monitor for fast-paced first-person shooter games, sports simulations, MOBAs, and fighting games, with G-Sync taking care of screen tearing issues.

If you care more about picture quality and immersion, however, this monitor is not for you. It has a TN panel, so it has significantly inferior picture quality and narrower viewing angles compared to monitors with an IPS screen. It’s got a poor contrast ratio and is unsuitable for usage in a dark room, especially for games with a lot of dark scenes.

On the upside, the S2716DG is better than most cheap TN monitors on the market concerning overall picture quality. It has decent color accuracy out of the box and good brightness. It has good coverage for the sRGB color space, with an acceptable rating for the Adobe RGB color space. However, the S2716DG isn’t the kind of monitor we’d recommend for photo editing, but for regular office work and general use, it is decent enough.

In all, the S2716DG is a solid monitor for gaming, especially if you care more about high refresh rates and response times than overall picture quality. If you want a QHD monitor for gaming but can’t afford to spend more than $500 on one, consider this Dell monitor.

Tech Specs

Size: 27 in

Resolution: 2560 x 1440

Refresh Rate: 144 Hz

Response Time: 1 ms

Panel: TN

Weight: 15.9 lb

The Pros

Nvidia G-Sync support

Excellent response time

Very low input lag

Great ergonomics

Good connectivity options

Good reflection handling

The Cons

Narrow viewing angles

Poor contrast ratio

Subpar overall picture quality

5. Acer Predator XB271HU

If our top pick is too expensive for you, consider the Acer Predator XB271HU instead. It has similar specs and features – including Nvidia G-Sync support – and is a good all-around monitor for both gaming and productivity. You can get it for about $600-700, which makes it a bit more accessible than our top pick.

A 27-inch IPS monitor, the XB271HU has a good design, featuring a clean back panel, thin bezels, and a stylish stand with red accents. It has good ergonomics, offering full adjustability, including the option to pivot in both directions. The stand’s neck has cable management, so you get organized cabling even if you are using all rear connection ports.

Speaking of which, the XB271HU has good connectivity options. It has an HDMI port, a DisplayPort, an audio out, and four USB downstream ports. Of the four USB ports, two are on the monitor’s side for quick access. The rear inputs are easy enough to access, even when the monitor is mounted on the wall.

For controlling the OSD, this Acer 1440p monitor has a set of buttons on the bottom-right corner. The clickable buttons are very easy to use and give off a nice positive feedback when pressed. They are much better than the function buttons on all three Dell monitors above. The OSD itself is also well designed and is easy to navigate, featuring a good selection of options.

Overall, the XB271HU’s design is good and has no major downsides. It has a good build quality overall, with a sturdy stand that easily supports the screen. It’s got a pair of speakers, too, but don’t set your hopes up too high regarding sound quality. Like with most other monitors with built-in speakers, the XB271HU’s speakers are not that good and are best ignored in favor of headphones, most especially for gaming.

As a gaming monitor, the XB271HU is excellent. It has an extremely fast response time and a very low input lag across different resolutions, which will please gamers. It has good viewing angles and decent reflection handling. As mentioned, this is a G-Sync monitor, so you get a smooth gaming performance with minimal screen tearing. It’s an excellent gaming monitor for fast-paced games such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Overwatch, and Rocket League.

Like our top pick from Asus, the XB271HU is also a good monitor for non-gaming use. It’s good for productivity and media consumption, but not while in a dark room. It has a poor native contrast. Out of the box, this monitor also has mediocre color accuracy. Once fully calibrated, coverage for the sRGB color space is much better, with acceptable coverage for the Adobe RGB color space as well.

While not as good as the Asus ROG Swift PG279Q in several aspects, the XB271HU is still a great monitor for both gaming and general use. It has good picture quality, an exceptional response time and input lag, wide viewing angles, and G-Sync support. It’s a well-built monitor with good ergonomics and connectivity options.

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